06/01/2006Hudson Valley Community College English Professor Receives President’s Award for Excellence in TeachingRachel Jorden has taught at college since 1997

Rachel Jorden of Wynantskill, an assistant professor in the English, Modern Languages and English as a Second Language Department at Hudson Valley Community College, has been recognized with the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Instituted in 1985 by then-President Joseph J. Bulmer, the President’s Award honors those who exemplify the best in teaching. Recipients are nominated from among the faculty members of the college and the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center, which Hudson Valley sponsors.

Jorden was recognized for her accomplishments at the college’s 22nd annual Faculty Honors Convocation, held earlier this month in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium on the Hudson Valley campus. A graduate of the University of Florida, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English/Media Studies and a master’s degree in English Education, Jorden has taught at Hudson Valley since 1997.

In nominating her for the award, colleagues described Jorden as a versatile, responsive and rigorous teacher who is deeply committed to academic excellence and integrity.

“Professor Jorden brings commitment, creativity, and scholarship to her classroom,” wrote Maria Palmara, chairperson of the English, Modern Languages, and English as a Second Language Department. “Always concerned about student success, she is particularly thoughtful and conscientious in both course preparation and curriculum development.”

In nominating Jorden, a student wrote, “Professor Jorden has a rapturous fire for learning, and, through her teaching, has reignited that passion for learning inside of me.”

Palmara also credited Jorden for her innovative instructional techniques, including collaborative writing assignments, in-house class publications, and online research. Jorden also was one of the distance learning pioneers in the English, Modern Languages, and English as a Second Language Department, offering composition courses entirely online, and she is currently participating in the college’s pilot study on hybrid courses, which combine both online and traditional teaching.

Jorden has been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and she currently chairs the college’s Educational Policies and Standards Committee, serves as the college’s Radio Club advisor, and is an Academic Senator. She also spearheaded the initiative to establish a college-wide plagiarism policy, which has been approved and implemented.

Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and workforce and academic preparation programs offered through the Educational Opportunity Center. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of more than 12,000 students, and it is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining. Hudson Valley has more than 60,000 alumni.